Sauvignon Blanc “Abstract” Marlborough 2019 – Blank Canvas

The grapes to produce the Sauvignon Blanc “Abstract” Marlborough Blank Canvas were hand harvested and whole bunch pressed. Only the free run juice went into three to five-year-old French oak puncheons (500l). The must was left to ferment naturally with wild yeasts and on full solids. The barrels were not stirred at all, however a small amount of SO2 was added at the start of spring to avoid malolactic fermentation. Maturation in these seasoned oak puncheons took place for 15 months before being gently racked and bottled without filtration.

The Holdaway vineyard is in the Dillons Point sub-region located on the coastal fringe of the Wairau Valley. This vineyard belongs to the Holdaway family who have been farming in Marlborough since 1864. They practice sustainable viticulture with such things as their own compost and mulching preparations to maintain organic matter in the soil. The soils are fertile and deep but well-drained, with plenty of mineral nutrients which is ideal for Sauvignon. Unusually this parcel is dry-farmed, so the roots go deep, maintaining vigour via the pure underground aquifers. The vineyard is VSP-trained and cane-pruned with wild-sown cover crops for extra organic matter and biodiversity.

Blank Canvas is the vinous studio of award-winning international winemaking consultant Matt Thomson and Master of Wine Sophie Parker-Thomson. With over 40 years of collective experience in the global wine industry, they produce small batch fine wines from exceptional single vineyard sites throughout New Zealand under their art-meets-science project. Matt has worked over fifty vintages in numerous wine regions around the world and has worked with David Gleave since 1994. Sophie has been travelling to Europe and working with Matt since 2011, leaving her career in law behind her. This international experience is the founding inspiration for this husband-and-wife team.